wasps in house

We live in a house with log siding that has attracted wasps since we moved in. We built it 3 years ago and all year I am killing wasps inside the house, even in the winter, sometimes up to 3 or 4 a day. We have small children, one that has been stung twice now, and I am getting desperate. I called some exterminators and they basically told me there was nothing they could do if I did not know where a nest was at. Help!

There are a few things you can do. For starters, you should review our WASP CONTROL ARTICLE which goes over all treatment options that can be employed. As you’ll learn, wasps love living up under wood and the more “natural” the wood is, the more they seem to like it. Log siding is about as good as it gets for them so it’s no surprise you see them year round. And once they start coming to any structure, they’ll leave scents where they forage. These odors aren’t detectable by people but they will attract more wasps so expect the current situation to get worse until it’s treated. So just what treatments should you do?

On the outside, a thorough spraying with either CYPERMETHRIN or NBS INSECT REPELLENT will keep them away from the structure year round. The rule of thumb here is to spray as needed so I expect you’ll need to treat monthly to start and then decrease the frequency as the wasp traffic drops off. NBS can be added to paint or stain and as explained on it’s product page, will last a year or so which is a nice benefit when used this way. You can also spray it as needed to supplement places where wasps persist should the problem persist.

Additionally, a good dusting right now would no doubt really do wonders. Using a DUSTICK and some DRIONE, if you went around the home and dusted up under all the siding you would have a huge impact on the ones currently hibernating. In general it would be wise to dust at least once every fall so wasps in your region won’t be able to crawl up under the siding and hibernate on your home every fall. Initially I’d recommend dusting every spring and fall till their gone for good since you no doubt have a good population using the home already. This current population need to be killed or repelled right away to provide immediate results. For the long term, dusting 1-2 a year will keep them away and should actually work so well you won’t have to spray at all.

Lastly, you could opt to use the Drione inside if you know where they’re entering. Some homes have clear cracks and gaps where pests enter and this would be a starting point you can dust. If you find it hard to apply Drione to these areas, go with PHANTOM AEROSOL. It can be used on the Dustick if you get the DUSTICK KIT which includes an attachment for aerosol cans. Phantom is practically odorless and highly effective on wasps so it’s well suited for use on pests which are semi dormant and hibernating right now.

In summary, you’ll need to be resilient and follow the program if you wish to keep these guys out for good. In fact there probably isn’t any real “nest” to speak of but wasps love using homes when it gets cold and once they have any one house marked and scented, they’ll return year after year like you’re experincing now. Spray the outside every spring and fall to keep this activity from happening. But to get immediate results, you’ll need to deal with the wasps hiding in all the cracks and crevices of the home and that will mean using either the Dust or Phantom.

@guest: As explained in our Wasp Control article, these guys are looking to hibernate for the winter and in doing so, will end up inside homes which are not treated on the outside. For starters, I suggest you do the Cypermethrin treatment listed above. By spraying down all the siding of your home, there won’t be any route of entry. If after spraying you still see them outside or continue to find some inside, you’ll have to move up to the dusting. As detailed in our article, dusting up under the siding of the home as well as the roof line and soffits, you can many times get areas the Cypermethrin misses. Lastly, dusting the attic might be needed. Here are direct links to the information and products listed above: